Before heading to Las Vegas where he hopes to raise campaign money, Gov. Walker made a couple changes to an absentee voting bill for Wisconsin.
The Republican plan will limit early, in-person voting to the two weeks prior to elections, between the hours of 8:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. and on weekdays only.
Walker vetoed the provision that would have restricted early voting to 45 hours per week and the portion that would have reimbursed local governments for the extra costs associated with early voting.
Supporters of the bill claim Wisconsin needs to have uniform voting hours. Opponents insist the changes are designed to lower turnout in cities that lean Democratic. During the 2012 election, Milwaukee was among those that offered extended hours to accommodate people who wanted or needed to vote early.
Among other bills the governor signed into law on Thursday are measures that will:
-- Require people filing asbestos exposure lawsuits to identify which entities will or have been sued
-- Allow lobbyists to start making campaign donations to candidates on April 15 rather than June 1
-- Create an emergency loan program to offset high propane costs, due to a propane shortage
-- Give attorneys the right to appeal temporary court rulings that block state laws, not just final rulings